Condors Talk Blog

By The Bakersfield Californian

Players have started rolling into town, workers will start the process of turning water into ice at Rabobank Arena on Wednesday and it’s hot and dry in Bakersfield.
Which means it’s time for some hockey.
It may be lockout time in the NHL, but it’s all go for the ECHL as the Condors prepare to open training camp on Friday at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center.
The days are be getting shorter as far as daylight hours, but they are getting longer for Condors head coach Matt O’Dette and assistant coach Kevin Barrett as opening night is in San Francisco on Oct. 11.
“It’s busy this time of year,” said O’Dette. “Preparing your systems and practices, constantly trying to sign guys and upgrade. There’s travel going on, locker room stuff, players coming in every day Tons of stuff going on. You’re never calm.
“Its stressful but exciting. Long hours but that’s what training camp is on any level: busy. Once that ends we get into more of a routine things kind of slow down. Not now.”

The body of a large paddle-tailed rodent was found early Tuesday in the traffic lanes of southbound Mohawk Street north of Truxtun Avenue, suggesting Bakersfield's fabled bike path beaver -- scourge of local saplings -- may have died.

The lush grasses and sweeps of wildflowers cloak much of the damage to the small canyon in a blanket of ephemeral green. But Ellen Cypher and Erin Tennant can see it as they walk along a sandy route that has been churned into the bottom of the wash by motorcyclists and quad riders.

Even Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez's self-serving, disingenuous and downright contemptuous ranting against a proposed ban of Piccolo Pete and ground flower-type fireworks wasn't nearly as stunning to me as Supervisor David Couch's silence and eventual vote against the ban.